INDONESIAN AW101 HELICOPTER MAKES MAIDEN FLIGHT

At the beginning of this year there were rumors about a strong interest of Indonesia for the AW101 helicopter.
Indonesia was interested in a combat search and rescue variant of the three-engined rotorcraft, with a similar configuration to the Italian air force's new HH-101 Caesar model.

In November 2015 the Indonesian air force indicated a willingness to buy three AW101s for VVIP transport missions. However, the following month president Joko Widodo axed the deal on cost grounds.

According to the maiden flight of the Indonesian AW101, without any statement about, it’s likely to think that the program is proceeding according to the initial intention.

Today, more than 220 AW101 helicopters have been sold worldwide, from Italy to Japan, from Canada to the United Kingdom and Norway.
220 is the success figure of this three-engine helicopter, developed in the early 1980s by two leading European helicopter manufacturers, Agusta and Westland and that, later, combined all their expertise and experience into a single industrial entity that has been absorbed by Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s Helicopter Division.

Over time, the configuration of the 16-tonne class AW101 helicopter was modified and updated in response to requests and needs of both the military market, in particular the versions dedicated to the personnel recovery missions, Special Operations, troops and tactical transport, MEDEVAC/CASEVAC, and the government market,especially in its Heads of State transport configuration.

The AW101 is made with the most recent and modern composite materials, allowing a reduction in weight and, at the same time, an increase in the structural strength and tolerance to fatigue. Light alloys are also employed for the blades of the main and tail rotors, ensuring the highest level of safety, reliability and damage tolerance (such as protection from impacts with birds and from lightning strikes). It's also equipped with a transmission capable of ensuring high performance and maximum safety as well as a system for in-flight refuelling in order to further extend its range.